Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a stern warning that the Makkah Defence Alliance, a newly formed pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, stands ready to activate its collective defence provisions in response to escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan's Facebook post criticising Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar's alleged anti-women remarks has disappeared, with the CMO citing a technical error. The incident has sparked political criticism from CPI(M) and BJP, who question the explanation and accuse the Congress of hypocrisy.
A bipartisan US body claimed that religious freedom conditions in India remained on the downward trajectory in 2026, citing restrictions on activities of NGOs, censorship and transnational repression.
On the 25th anniversary of that world-changing morning in New York, it is also for the rest of to reflect. Not only on those who were killed but also on why the event happened and what led to it and what came after it, asserts Aakar Patel.
The only thing that might make the BJP stop trying to isolate Muslims completely will be if substantial numbers of the community vote for the party that flaunts its animosity towards it, notes Jyoti Punwani.
The question for the next 20 years is not whether India can become a $5 trillion or $10 trillion economy. Those are attractive targets, but the real question is whether India can create enough productive jobs, educate its children properly, make its cities liveable, and give hundreds of millions of people a substantially better life, asserts Ramesh Menon.
The BJP has announced its new national organisational team, with eight leaders from Uttar Pradesh receiving key appointments. These include two national vice-presidents, two general secretaries, two secretaries, and the chiefs of the OBC and Minority Morchas. The appointments reflect a strategic focus on youth, social diversity, and experienced campaigners, particularly after the party's recent electoral setbacks in the state.
Samajwadi Party leader Zeeshan Ansari has written a letter in his blood to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that the cow be declared "Rashtra Mata" (Mother of the Nation). Ansari, a Muslim, stated his initiative aims to clarify the BJP's stance on the cow, highlighting its special place in Indian sentiments.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced a new dress code of blue T-shirt and jeans for the party's student wing, Chhatra Sabha, along with a two-week student awareness campaign. The move aims to connect with young people in educational institutions, familiarise them with the party's ideology, and promote socialist values. Yadav explained the symbolism of the blue colour, associating it with ideology, democracy, the Constitution, and the 'Bahujan samaj', while jeans represent rebellion and workers. The initiative is part of the party's broader PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak, and also Prem, Daya, Apnapan) campaign to establish social justice.
Had it been know that Jinnah suffered from tuberculosis and did not have much time to live, there is a possibility Partition could have been averted.
Activist Manish Brahmbhatt has launched the Cockroach Janta Party-Democratic (CJP-D) as an alternative to the existing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Brahmbhatt alleges that the CJP, led by Abhijeet Dipke, has deviated from its student-led origins, becoming too aligned with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and failing to represent its diverse volunteer base, particularly regarding issues like examination paper leaks.
From Pink and Thappad to Aadukalam and Game Over, these 10 films showcase Taapsee Pannu at her most powerful and versatile.
The Supreme Court has stayed further proceedings in an FIR against Kotdwar gym operator Deepak Kumar, known as 'Mohammad Deepak', who gained prominence for confronting Bajrang Dal workers. The case stems from an incident where Deepak defended a Muslim shopkeeper, leading to a viral video and subsequent legal challenges.
The Goa cabinet has approved the Goa Prohibition of Unlawful Conversions of Religion Bill, 2026, which proposes stringent penalties, including life imprisonment, for religious conversions carried out through force, fraud, or marriage. The bill will be tabled in the state assembly's monsoon session.
Delhi Police has assured the arrest of Swatantra Bharadwaj within 72 hours, who is accused of assaulting student activist Nishu Azad's father during a protest at Jantar Mantar. The assurance follows a video where Bharadwaj admitted to the assault and claims of political connections, prompting demands for stronger charges and action against online abuse targeting Nishu.
Ruling TVK legislators are advocating for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as their Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, a move dismissed by the Congress party which insists on Rahul Gandhi as their choice. This internal conflict within the alliance highlights a growing divide over national political ambitions.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's new national team integrates women, minority leaders, and regional representatives to strengthen its organisational structure and national appeal.
Actor-MP Kangana Ranaut and movie legend Sharmila Tagore are embroiled in a public debate over Vande Mataram.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and advised the US government against extending diplomatic courtesies to its leaders. This comes ahead of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's visit to the US, with USCIRF officials citing allegations of attacks on religious minorities by RSS sub-groups. India has consistently rejected USCIRF's reports as biased and selective.
The Allahabad high court has dismissed a petition filed by a minor student of a school in Prayagraj. The petitioner had sought permission to wear a hijab additionally along with the prescribed school dress code while attending classes.
Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh following a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding his arrest for allegedly assaulting a student's father and bragging about it, while the victim's daughter reported receiving rape threats and online abuse.
Journalist Kuldip Nayar's autobiography recounts Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah's despairing remark, "What have I done?", after witnessing the mass displacement during the 1947 Partition. The article also details Nayar's own grim experiences of the communal violence and human tragedy at the time, highlighting the immense upheaval that accompanied the division of the subcontinent, now commemorated as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
The Supreme Court has permitted Muslims to offer Friday prayers at a site adjacent to the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, following a High Court ruling that declared the complex a temple. This decision allowed prayers to resume after a previous ASI order was quashed.
The Supreme Court has sought the Centre's response on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of polygamy among Muslims, arguing it violates fundamental rights and creates legal asymmetry by exempting Muslim men from bigamy laws applicable to other citizens.
The Supreme Court has allowed the Muslim community to offer Friday prayers at a dargah adjacent to the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, between 1 pm and 3 pm. This directive comes after the Muslim side alleged non-compliance with a previous order for an alternative prayer site, and follows a Madhya Pradesh High Court ruling declaring the complex a temple.
'Even if it's just a short moment, he creates something that is pure cinema.'
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has voiced his opposition to the upcoming event at Madison Square Garden where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to address the Indian diaspora. Mamdani, however, noted that the city might lack jurisdiction to cancel the private event, which has also drawn protests from various interfaith and civil rights organisations.
The BJP has criticised the Allahabad High Court's observations regarding the wearing of a hijab in school, stating that such matters should be left to school administrations and not courts. BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam argued that faith is a significant personal aspect and courts should not dictate personal attire, while also acknowledging that schools have the right to set uniform policies. The High Court had dismissed a petition seeking permission for a girl to wear a headscarf, ruling it's not an essential part of Islamic faith.
There is a strong opinion within the BJP in Punjab that the party must now stand on its own two feet and dump the badly compromised SAD baggage.
'If investors are trusting a new establishment in Tamil Nadu, it speaks a lot of the state's investment climate.'
The Calcutta High Court has upheld a magistrate court's decision to grant interim maintenance to a Hindu woman who married a man according to Muslim rites and customs, citing Supreme Court precedents on the husband's liability for maintenance until the marriage is declared void.
Two NCPI MPs from Murshidabad, West Bengal, met with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to express concerns over the removal of mosque loudspeakers, alleging police overreach and targeting of Muslims. They also sought his intervention to expedite hearings for approximately 27 lakh people excluded from electoral rolls, highlighting difficulties faced by genuine voters due to delays in tribunal decisions.
Members of the Muslim community in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district said they would offer their first Friday namaz at home and wear black bands after the court setback in the Bhojshala case.
Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered at the Bhojshala complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, for a 'maha aarti' following a high court ruling declaring the site a temple. Members of the Muslim community protested peacefully by offering namaz at home wearing black bands.
Coming so soon after Main Vaapas Aaunga, also a Partition era tale with a message of compassion, the flaws in Batwara 1947 are even more grating, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The Congress party has demanded that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) clarify its stance on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram Godse, being an RSS member. This demand follows a court statement by Satyaki Savarkar, V D Savarkar's grandnephew, who testified that Nathuram Godse and his brother Gopal Godse were "active workers" of the RSS. The statement was made during a defamation complaint hearing filed by Satyaki Savarkar against Rahul Gandhi.
Amid calls from sections of the Muslim community that cow should be declared a national animal, a look at the Constituent Assembly debates shows that two Muslim members had sought an unambiguous spelling out of the state's stance on cow slaughter, with one of them even calling for prohibiting it as part of fundamental rights.
As India's decline continued on global indices, the government first blamed methodology and then motives. This is where we remain today as we wish each other and ourselves a happy Independence Day, points out Aakar Patel.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a significant overhaul of its national team under party president Nitin Nabin, introducing numerous new faces and promoting prominent leaders like former Union minister Smriti Irani to general secretary and former RSS functionary Ram Madhav to vice president. The revamp aims to balance youth and experience while preparing for upcoming assembly and general elections.
Sumit Sarkar was never intellectually dismissive of the Hindutva project. He took it with deadly seriousness for he grasped the challenge it posed to the aspirations and ideals of the anti-imperialist movement that generated multiple imaginings of freedom and ways to attain it, recalls Pradeep Kumar Dutta.
